Trial of former teacher charged with historic sex offences begins

A former teacher at a now-defunct school in Great Finborough has been described to a jury as a ‘tyrant’ by one of the boys he taught.

Simon Warr, 61, went on trial today at Ipswich Crown Court accused of historic sexual abuse involving three boys at St George’s School in the 1980s and 1990s.

Warr, of Great West Road, Hounslow, has pleaded not guilty to three offences of gross indecency towards a child and four offences of indecent assault.

The three alleged victims were aged between 10 and 13 at the time.

The prosecution claim that Warr, who taught French, German and Latin at St George’s, had watched boys taking showers after sports and touched them for his own sexual gratification.

Andrew Thompson, prosecuting, told the jury that Warr had been arrested following an investigation into St George’s headmaster Derek Slade who was later jailed after being convicted of 32 indecency offences against pupils.

As the trial began, one of the alleged victims twice broke down in tears as he described the treatment he said he received at the hands of Warr.

The witness, now a man in his 40s, also claimed that Warr had watched as he was beaten on the bottom with a bat by Slade before Warr himself administered further punishment with it.

The man said be considered Warr had acted as a “complete tyrant” with bullying behaviour.